Coffin attachment.



Patented Apr. 24, |900.

\ D. GERWE.

CUFFIN ATTACHMENT.

(Application mea ou. 11, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID GERWE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COFFI'N ATTACH M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,959, dated April 24, 1900.

Application led October 11, 1899. Serial No. 733,250. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, DAVID GERWE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cofiin Attachments, of which the following is a specification.l

My invention relates to coffins equipped with vertically-movable false bottoms. Its principal object is to make the support for the false bottomautomatic in its action, so that the entire strength of the operator may be applied to the raising or lowering of the bottom.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and' wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section v of a coffin, showing my device with the `false bottom raised. Fig. 2 is a like view with the false bot-tomlowered. Fig.y 3 is a top view ofk anism may be used for maintaining it in hori-' zontal position. In the construction shown in thev drawings there arefour parallel links 3, pivoted to the couch at one end and having their opposite ends provided with studs 6. These studs 6 slide in elongated slots 7, formed in angle-irons' 12, which are fastened to the bottom of the cofn. At their middle points veach of said links 3 is pivotally fasrangement the couch is raised and lowered in a horizontal position at Whatever point the lifting force may be applied.

In order to support the couch in its raised position, one or more standards 8 are pivotally fastened to the angle-irons 12 at the bot- `tom of the coliin. These standards are arranged near an end of the couch and on opposite sides thereof and are provided with a notch or socket 9 in the edge-adapted to rereceive lugs or studs 10, projectinglaterally fromthe sides of the couch. These studs are for safety'and convenience provided with a rod 10, extending through the couch.

Each of the supporting-standards 8 is drawn toward its corresponding projecting stud by means of a tension-spring 17, fastened to said standard and to the edge of the coffin or fitG ting 18 thereon.

l In order to limitthe range ofV movement of the standards, blocks 19 are mounted lon the sides of the coffin-and provided With slotsfor the standardsto work in. By thisarrangement thel spring 17 automatically pulls the standards 8 into position for their notches 9 to engage with the studs 10 of the couch as soon as the couch has'reached the proper elevation. In order to release such engagement, cams orwipers lare pivotally mounted on the standards in position to bear againstthe studs.

once is to havethe two cams connected by ayoke or bail 14,' bridging the end of the couch. In this ease the pivot is located in the lower edge' of the bailA near its end or in a downward projection therefrom, so as to A convenient ar-' rangement for releasing both standards at` form, in effect, a bell-crank lever,'the upper y end of the bail'being arranged to bear against the' lug. l When the lbail is raised by means of thehand grip or cord 11a, fastened thereto, its ends strike against the studs 10 on the couch, which studs thereupon become the fulcrums of the cam-levers, and the standL ards are forced to turn on their pivots 16, so

las to carry the supporting-standards from be fastened to the lifting-cord of the false IOO automatically engage and hold said false bottom at an elevated position, substantially as described.

2. A coffin having a vertically -movable false bottom, a support therefor pivoted at or near the true bottom, and a spring for drawing said support into operative position relative to said bottom, substantially as described.

3. A cofiin having a vertically-movable false bottom provided with studs projecting laterally therefrom, and a spring-actuated l standard pivoted at or near the bottom of the coin and having a notch or socket in its edge adapted to receive said stud, substantially as described.

4. A coin having a vertically-movable false bottom provided with studs projecting laterally therefrom, and a spring-actuated standard pivoted at or near the bottom of the coffin and having a notch or socket in its edge adapted to receive said stud, and a cam operatively connected to said standard and arranged to disengage it from said stud, substantially as described.

5. -A coffin having a vertically-movable A false bottom provided with laterally-projecting studs, spring-actuated standards pivoted at or near the con-bottom and having sockets in their edges adapted to receive said studs, and a bail pivoted on said standards and having its ends arranged to constitute cams bearing against said studs,substantially as described.

DAVID GERWE.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. WISE, WILLIAM P. CARR. 

